Boot Dryers for Drop Camp
Moose
I have a drop camp Moose Hunt planned for the last week of Sept. I know I will encounter rain, stream, sweat etc. can any of you guys recommend a battery-operated boot dryer or any other type of boot dryer that does not require electric. I will be limited to weight and room in the Helicopter looking for something small and lite weight.
Never heard of one but I can see where it would be a great asset.
Remember, boots dry better laid on their side. For waders try and get a good sized stick that will keep the boot open.
Never tried it, but a handwarmer in each boot may dry them out overnight and would be pretty light. Test at home first. I've never heard of laying boot on side to dry, I always assumed heat would rise and therefore moisture would rise out if boots were upright. I guess that would be another thing to test, try drying one upright and one sideways...
Peet makes a propane boot dryer.
Bring some newspaper. Ball it up and stuff down in the boot. The dry paper will absorb the wetness. Remove in the morning. Keep the newspaper someplace where it dries out and it can be reused again and again
^^^^^Ambush X2. We used one on a 10day drop camp moose hunt in Alaska. Rained every day, except one. The boot dryer was a lifesaver.
Every guide tent has Peet propane boot dryers.
If you are really restricted on weight/bulk going in, I can hardly envision bringing an extra couple of pounds of boot dryer and propane. Maybe, but something else isn't going in. I've spent a lot of years in moose-land and walked in a lot of wet terrain. I've never needed a dryer. The key is wearing the right boots...keep the water out...and change socks midday.
Cnelk has the most beneficial tip
Newspaper is the quickest way to get moisture out of footwear without a heat source
I've used heated rocks placed in a sock to dry boots before.
That said, I agree Kevin, If you wear the right boots, it should never be an issue. I pretty much lived in Simms waist high waders and wading boots on my Alaskan caribou hunt.
Matt
I’ve used two different “systems”
1. Comfortable hunting hunts and have wet feet for 16 hrs. And deal with it.
2. Gore Tex wading pants or Waders. With quite pants over the waders for stealth. Then try to keep the wet wading boots in the tent or vestibule to keep them from freezing.
Also you could try a mountaineering boot with a removable liner. When climbing we remove the liner and take them in the sleeping bag to dry them out and keep from freezing. Unfortunately most mountaineering boots with liners have very stiff soles.
A nice alternative that is available is look for a pair of Arcteryx Bora 2 boots. Unfortunately they are no longer made. Hunters didn’t understand the value and they are discontinued. I have a pair and love them for back country hunting. I have a thin liner and a heavier insulated liner. They can still be found on line. I wish a hunting boot manufacturer would come out with different models of removable liners boots
I guess I go back a ways. I know a couple guys who only ever moose hunted in cheap hip boots. They each made 3 sets (pairs) of plain cardboard insoles that fit in their boots. They'd start each day with a dry pair and remove them at night. The insoles would absorb any remaining dampness under foot and keep it from getting to their socks quickly. Both guys (friends of mine) swore this worked like crazy and they were never aware of the cardboard in their boots. And yes....the newspaper trick is golden, too. Just not high-enough tech for most of today's hunters.
Thanks for all the great info.
Check out the Graxxsaw boot dryer...no first hand experience but have the site bookmarked as something I might try down the road.
DryGuy Dry Rack Boot & Glove Dryer and they Really works well! When you have where boots everyday and they get soggy from tromping through snow it’s nice to have dry boots every morning
Kevin, I haven’t done as many moose hunts as you. But either I had worse weather or lack of knowledge. But Im thinking it would have been hard to have enough dry newspaper in a small 2 man tent to dry boots. Wouldn’t it just absorb moisture from the 100 % humidity Also I’ve only hunted low lands not hilly areas with occasional water crossing. So maybe that is the difference. I just always figured I’m going to have wet feet. From external source or feet perspiration. Never could get my boots completely dry and concentrated on drying socks and changing socks when sitting.
Jay, Actually paper (any type) seems to dry out just fine inside my tipi during the day. If the paper is dry enough to start a fire, it's dry enough to absorb a lot of boot moisture. Doesn't need to be crackling dry, but better if it is. (I like the sports section, but the political pages are the best...most of what's in there won't hold water. !!!) The best and easiest thing most guys aren't doing is changing into dry socks as often as needed. Damp feet are soft feet, and often cold too.
A teepee with stove would be a nice luxury
Where are you hunting in Canada? I just wore Lacrosse alpha burlys in Newfoundland.
It surprises me with all the old guys on here that the newspaper trick isnt more popular.
I also remember as kid doing the cardboard soles too.
But I guess Kevin has it right... "the newspaper trick is golden, too. Just not high-enough tech for most of today's hunters."
I’m the lowest tech. Or just dense. I had damp feet for 2 weeks. :>))) I never thought to take a pile of paper to wet Alaska
My hunting buddy walking on a wet sponge . Flat wet ground on every square inch of ground.
You guys have no use for the Sealskin type socks? Warm and waterproof.
^^^^ Yeah I have em. Dont wear em. My feet sweat enough without trapping moisture in
I've used the newspaper trick. It's good to get your boots like 90% of the way dry, but will never be completely dry. If you're a foot-sweater like me After a few days that newspaper is maxed out. Might be the salt fills up the pores or something I dunno. My best for moose hunting is just to have non-insulated boots. They dry fastest and don't hold water. The insulation holds water. Non-insulated hiking boot - let it freeze every night and just put new socks on and jog a few hundred yards right after putting them on every morning.
With moose hunting you generally aren't doing 20 mile days. I've done the plastic grocery bag trick a number of times as well. For some reason plastic bags around the feet works really well. It doesn't make sense to me, because I think that my sweating feet should fill it up like a bathtub, and they are somewhat moist, but they're warm and blister free which is what matters.
cnelk, even with a liner sock? light merino, etc?
I like them for wet boots. But maybe my feet don't sweat like others.
My routine has been pretty simple. Tall insulated rubber boots. Don't over-top them ever. Change socks regularly. Air out the boots as often as possible during midday breaks. These days I'm not doing the newspaper or cardboard thing.
Nice bull and pic. I just try to dry my feet when I can but except the suck, put cold frozen boots on and they eventually warm up and when you get cold you just move around :>)))
This Day I had just my waders on without the pants over because we were just sitting with a little pissy smelling willow brush comfort fire. After this bull was dead on the ground a real toad came out with a Cow right behind my bull.
Maybe try the wet cell phone trick and fill your boots with rice every night. :-)
Where I went you get 50 pounds total. I put a lot of gear in my pockets
